How To Buy Tomorrow's Vintage Gems

WGSN (subscription only) is reporting that Drouot had the world's first auction of vintage men's clothing. The results aren't up on the Drouot site, but according to WGSN, "Paris's first auction of vintage designer menswear fetched a higher-than-expected 134,200 euros ($197,200) yesterday. The best-seller was a 1992 autumn/winter wool Gaberdine jacket designed by Jean Paul Gaultier that sold for 7,930 euro, and another of his creations, a 1987 red velvet sleeveless tunic, fetched 4,880 euro." I've been told vintage Gaultier sells particularly well in Paris, so that fits. It occurred to me that maybe men would be more interested in buying designer clothes if they thought they'd appreciate in value. I came across this article on how to buy vintage clothing as an investment, but very little advice about what to buy new that is likely to appreciate. So I asked Cameron Silver, the owner of Decades in Los Angeles for some insights.

Regarding contemporary designer clothing and accessories as an investment, I believe the potential value of these articles may be exploited since many of these goods are not that "limited." It is clearly a selling point that has developed because of the power of vintage couture and the proof that clothing of the past can retain and increase in value with time. Much of contemporary design, even in the luxury sector, is not rather accessible and lost its exclusivity. There are certain contemporary designer brands and particular collection with desirable pieces that may ultimately become a great investment in the future, but it is not always easy to identify something as being collectible the moment it hits the runway.

I also asked him about worth of bags in the various stages of the Bottega Veneta brand development.

Q: A piece of Bottega Veneta by Giles Deacon?
A: did he design at BV? [Not a good sign]

Q: A piece of Bottega from the first Thomas Maier collection?
A: if it is a piece that defined the collection and ultimately represents the new era of BV under Thomas Maier, it may be of interest. [Think the Cabat bag]

Q: An original Bottega?
A: Early BV from the 60s through early 80s can be desirable if its a strong design...just because it is BV doesn't mean it's a great piece.

Finally,

Q: Are there any "limited editions" that might really appreciate significantly and how do shoppers know which ones they are?
A: Things that are TRULY limited (i.e., small numbers produced and sold exclusively in one retail outlet) can appreciate significantly. The MOCA Murakami exclusively sold bags in conjunction with the current exhibit are already selling at higher prices on Ebay since you can only purchase them at the Louis Vuitton temporary boutique inside MOCA. They are not particularly accessible consequently.